Until They Stay Down
by feeisamarshmallow
Summary: A look how Felix reacts to Weevil's interactions with Logan. Weevil and Logan were seeking each other out to insult each other (flirt?) far before the need to solve Felix's murder. Mostly Weevil & Felix friendship, but could be read as Weevil/Logan. Spans from 1x07 to 2x08. Rated for language.


**A/N: This fits in from between 1x07 The Girl Next Door to 2x08 Ahoy, Mateys! aka Weevil is still under the impression that Logan killed Felix. I've sat on this fic for nearly half a year, tweaking it over and over, so I finally decided to just publish it. I was quite nervous to write something solely centered around Weevil and Felix, I hope I've done their voices justice. I don't have a beta, so make of this what you will.**

 **The characters are not mine. All credit goes to Rob Thomas and the television network. Enjoy!**

"You did what?" Felix is bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy.

Weevil stands leaning up against the dusty wall of Neptune High, part bemused and part proud that he elicited such a response from Felix. "I put Daniel's car on the flagpole," Weevil shrugs, though he is pretty pleased with his handiwork.

"Man, you're gonna get in shit." Felix elongates the last word and punctuates it by slapping his thigh. They are slouched against the outermost edge of the school, the part of the wall that is mostly invisible to anyone looking out from within the school, waiting for the rest of the boys to meet up with them. "We got plans tonight, boys," Weevil had told them—best to keep the PCHers on a need-to-know basis. This stretch of dusty, gum-scattered, brick wall is the best meeting place for after school, close to the parking lot and away from the authorities' prying eyes.

Weevil looks over at Felix and cracks a brief smile. Something about Felix's uncontrollable energy brings Weevil's walls down. He replies lazily, but smiling, "Worth it."

Like he's turned a switch, Felix plops down next to Weevil. "Definitely worth it." Felix's last syllable is drowned out by the final bell, and they stand up in anticipation of the arrival of the other PCHers and their night's plans.

Felix won't let the incident go. Even after Weevil is expelled and in a thoroughly bad mood, Felix keeps bringing the incident up.

"Legendary," Felix assures him one day as they are crashed at Felix's house playing video games.

Weevil is only half-paying attention. The novelty of his expulsion has worn off. The thrill of hanging out all day at Angel's yard, lifting liquor from right under the nose of the elderly clerk at the Sac N Pac, and working on his bike are long gone. Instead, Weevil is faced with his grandma's disapproving looks every time he is home. He starts to feel bad, and volunteers for babysitting duty and making dinner. He isn't stupid by any means, and in an odd way, he misses Neptune High.

Weevil, though, is resigned to his expulsion. As surprisingly well as he and Echolls got along during their big heist, he doesn't expect Logan to go to bat for him and admit his part in the car-spindling. It goes without saying that Weevil is surprised when Logan not only confesses to Mr. Van Clemmons, but also manages to get him un-expelled.

Of course Weevil's return to school, and the news that his accomplice was none other than Logan Echolls, sets Felix off all over again.

"No way—Logan Echolls? The movie star's kid?" are the first words that come out of Felix's mouth as he greets Weevil with a bump of the fist.

"No welcome?" Weevil grunts at him, though he can't help but smile at the absurdity of the situation. Who could have guessed that Logan made a half-decent and loyal partner in crime?

"Man I can deal with Veronica, and I know you had a thing for Lilly, but Echolls?" What the hell, man?"

Weevil shoots Felix a warning look, shuts his locker with a bang and moves to walk away. Felix starts bounding alongside him, either oblivious to, or ignoring, Weevil's warning.

"I coulda helped you," he continues, "I fucking hate math, I woulda liked the excuse to skip."

"You never need the excuse to skip," Weevil shoves his shoulder into his friend, "'sides, you weren't in detention with Daniels—wouldn't have been true revenge."

"Oh so you and Echolls are revenge buddies now?" Felix hoots in laughter.

"Me and Logan Echolls ain't anything. I'm not talking to his pretty ass again after detention is over."

Felix just looks at Weevil and keeps laughing as they split ways to go to class as the final bell rings.

"I think you're obsessed." Felix announces a few days later with an air of calm and wisdom.

"What the hell are you talking about? And why are you still here, I thought you had study hall last period?" Weevil demands as he turns from his locker to look up at Felix. His five inches of height over Weevil will never stop irritating him, though Weevil makes up for it in presence and bravado.

"The 09ers." Felix answers simply, before addressing Weevil's other question, "Heard we were riding tonight, wasn't gonna miss that." Felix looks at Weevil and gives him his trademark crazy grin.

"I am not obsessed with the 09ers," Weevil exclaims, hearing what verges on sullenness in his voice. He quickly recovers with, "stop tryin' use your brain man you always come up with these crazy theories." They both let the topic drop, but the accusation persists in the back of Weevil's mind.

"When we leaving tonight?" Felix effortlessly switches gears and forgets his previous accusation, "it's been too long man, my hands are itching."

"You mean you wanna eat my food first before we leave," Weevil counters, still a little annoyed at Felix's inability to let go of his and Echolls little prank. He is not obsessed, he tells himself.

"You know you're a better cook than me."

"Hey, stop it," he's mostly joking now, "you'll ruin my cred."

"What cred? The last of it left when you got obsessed wit' Logan Echolls!" Felix pushes Weevil good-naturedly into the lockers as they walk out of the school. Weevil, now a little bit pissed off, pushes Felix back hard enough to make his head bounce off the locker.

"You act like I've asked him to prom! We were in detention, I didn't have much of a choice," Weevil fixes Felix with a glare. Somehow they are back on the same topic again.

"You could've not put Daniel's car on the flagpole," Felix grins again. He never stops grinning, Weevil thinks, not in the face of being arrested, not facing detention, not when he is pissing off his longest friend and leader. The only time Weevil had ever seen Felix not grinning was when Gus disappeared. Shit, now he felt bad for Felix all over again. Gus' death had been hard on everyone, but it had been hell on his mother. The real reason Felix wanted to crash at Weevil's was probably because his mom was in one of her moods again. The ones where she sits in bed for a week before her work threatens to fire her if she doesn't come back. With Maria Toombs in mind, Weevil lets go of Felix's collar and softens his response.

"Don't you even talk man you know you would've spindled his car if you knew how." Friendly insult instead of angry defence. Why did he decide to work with Echolls anyways Weevil wonders.

"Hell, I would have skewered it better than Echolls did," Felix jumps up from against the locker, barely missing a beat and falling into step beside Weevil.

"I was impressed that Echolls had the cajones to pull it off," Weevil says honestly. He didn't expect Logan to be up to the task.

"Jeez man, now you're impressed, what is it with you and Echolls?" Felix phrases his question as a joke, but there's a hint of truth behind his inquiry. Weevil chooses to ignore his question and put an end to the subject of his and detention partnership.

"Shut your mouth, you just like stirring shit up where it ain't."

"Calling it like I see it," is Felix's infuriatingly calm response.

"Shut the fuck up," Weevil closes the conversation, "Let's go?" He gestures to the parking lot. Felix, sensing he's pushed the limits of their friendship, and Weevil's leadership, enough, follows him silently. The promise of dinner is more important that Felix's observations of his friend's peculiar relationship with Logan Echolls.

It becomes kind of a running joke between them.

"Weevil," Felix would say, "Why are you obsessed with the 09ers?"

Finishing off his beer, Weevil replies, "'cause man, they fucking suck. Don't you want to punch out all their perfect, shiny teeth?"

"Hell man, you know I do. But you can't win with those guys. This is Neptune, Weevil. The money always wins—it ain't worth it." Felix takes out a joint from his pocket and offers one to Weevil.

"Do I look like I'm scared of the 09ers?" Weevil ignores Felix's offer and tries to inject authority into his words, but the amount of beer he has consumed has softened his tongue.

"Woah man, I never said scared—they just aren't worth your time."

Weevil is no longer sure if they are talking about Logan, or Lilly, or even Veronica. He opens his mouth to protest then lets it go. Felix, despite his manner, is actually quite perceptive. He notices Weevil's decision not to comment, and lets the silence persist. They sit there, lounged on the back step of Weevil's house, staring at the stars of the clear California night.

Weevil isn't sure what makes him attend Logan's Christmas poker party. Originally, it's the thought of some extra easy money for Christmas. A couple thousand dollars could make a nice Christmas surprise for both Weevil, and his Grandma, cousins and sisters. But deep down, he knows it's something about the promise of verbally sparring (and winning) against Echolls that makes him actually pursue buying into the poker game.

Weevil is hardly surprised when he wins the poker game, but neither is he surprised exactly, when his prize money goes missing. Though he had initially hoped to avoid mentioning the poker game to Felix, effectively avoiding the redundant accusations of his obsession with Logan Echolls and the 09ers, Weevil can't help venting his anger.

"They stole my money—they're gonna regret it, no one rips me off." They are crouched in Felix's garage working on their bikes. Something about not being able to see Felix's face when Weevil admits to taking part in Logan's poker game makes the conversation easier. Felix's garage is low and long, there are cobwebs up in the ceiling, but the concrete is spotless. There are two workbenches; one Felix's and the other formerly Gus'.

Surprisingly, Felix takes the news without comment, instead focussing on the stolen items spilling out of Weevil's jacket.

"They won't even know what hit 'em," Felix agrees, getting up from behind his bike to join Weevil on what used to be Gus' workbench. He takes Weevil's jacket from the bench, pulling out the stolen Fabergé egg and laptop—Weevil's form of collection.

"Is this Kane's laptop?" Felix looks at him, one eyebrow cocked. Weevil nods affirmatively, and tucks the laptop back under his coat. "He's not getting this pretty boy back until they pay me fair." Felix stops for a moment and considers Weevil, stilling his fingers that have been tapping on the bench.

"Why were you there in the first place?" Instead of coming out as a joke or an accusation, Felix asks the question honestly, watching Weevil for a response. At first, Weevil considers answering him honestly—the combination of easy money, and the thrill of pissing off the 09ers proved too much to resist. But more than that, something about the 09ers, their callous attitude, their immunity in this town, fucking infuriates Weevil. He finds himself drawn back to the 09ers, to prove himself, to infuriate them in the same way they do him every day.

And though Felix is Weevil's closest friend, and knows more about him than anyone else, he can't quite bring himself to express his complicated relationship with the 09ers.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that, first Veronica…" his attempt at deflection comes out sounding like an accusation.

"See Veronica, she's cool, but those 09ers, man Weevil, what is it with you and those guys?" Felix leans closer to him, legitimate concern written on his face.

Of the endless variations of this conversation that Weevil and Felix have had, this is entering their most honest territory. Weevil knows exactly what Felix is trying to say with his concerned look—a look that is not natural for him. Felix is talking about Lilly, always Lilly. He's warning Weevil to stay away. Lilly, Logan, they are all the same. He would never win against them; it's not worth the effort. But, Weevil wants to reply, that is part of the perverse draw of the 09ers, no matter how much Weevil knocks them down, they still end up on top. And Weevil wants to keep endlessly fighting them until they stay down.

Waiting for Weevil's response, Felix restarts drumming his fingers on the wooden workbench, all while fixing his eyes on Weevil.

"They're all idiots. A bunch of idiots playing a $5 000 poker game, of course I'm going to go," Weevil finally answers truthfully, though not fully. Felix nods affirmatively, and crosses the garage to pick up his toolbox.

"They are a bunch of idiots—playing against themselves I bet they still all lose." Though Felix's proclamation doesn't make much sense, Weevil hears the underlying meaning—stay away from the 09ers, there is nothing to prove, they don't need someone to beat them to prove they're scum, it will only get you hurt. Felix turns to look at Weevil, deciding he has understood his warning, before bouncing back up and across the garage and adding, "Just one question man, where's my invite?" he punches Weevil in the arm.

Weevil gets up and shrugs, "you suck at poker, couldn't have let Echolls actually win."

Felix makes a non-committal noise, "they never win," he shakes his head to punctuate is point.

Months later, Weevil can't help but disbelieve Felix's statement. How could they not always win, when Felix is dead and Logan is walking free? As he leads the PCHers with increasing fervor against the 09ers, he can't help but picture Felix's comments in his head.

"First revenge buddies, not you're going to the trouble of kidnapping him. Man, you are obsessed with Echolls."

What Felix doesn't know is it's because of him, and all of Weevil's other boys, that Weevil fights so hard against the 09ers. One day, if they can finally win, then maybe no one else will end up like Felix. So, yeah, maybe he is a little obsessed with Logan Echolls.


End file.
